BRICK

WORK
Laurie Baker
FOREWORD

The common burnt brick is one of man’s great inventions. Five thousand
years ago bricks were made in many different shapes and sizes but, one by one,
the less satisfactory ones were discarded. Now, all over the world, with only a
few exceptions, nearly all bricks are roughly the same shape and size - that is
about 9 x 4.5 x 3 inches. This is neither accidental nor coincidence but the result
of five thousand years of what we now call R & D - research and development.

This common brick contains just that amount of mud, which you can pick up
and hold in your two hands without dropping any of it. If you pick up less
mud, your brick will be too smell. A wall will be too thin and you will have to
use more mortar. (Perhaps this is why the “Metric Brick” - 20 x10 x 5 cm has
not been acceptable). If you make a larger brick and use more than one scoop
of mud, you will have to bend down twice to pick up enough mud. When this
big brick is burned it is likely to warp, bend and crack. It will be too heavy and
too big to pick up with one hand. You will have to put down your tools and use
both hands to manhandle the brick. But our standard brick avoids all these
problems. It is just the right size to hold in the palm of one hand. It can be
thrown by one man and caught in one hand by another man. You can keep your
trowel in one hand while you place the brick with the other. It has been burned
right through and it has not twisted or cracked with the heat.

This common burnt brick is usually pleasing to look at with warm colours
ranging from cream, through orange sandy colours to brown and even blue
brown. When built into a wall, pleasing and interesting simple patterns appear.
Like people who all have one nose, one mouth, two ears and two eyes but no
two look exactly the same, so each brick, although so simple in shape, has its
own individuality. Of course, there are always some people who prefer absolute
uniformity so, at double the cost, they have invented the wire cut machine made
brick so that even brick looks as dull as its neighbour (God help us if this had
happened with His creations!). Fortunately most of us cannot afford these
soulless wire cut bricks!

This small book is about the best ways of using this common burnt brick, the
simplest and least complicated of all our inventions. We are at liberty to use
materials in whatever way we wish, but this book is for those who want to build
with brick effectively, acceptably, strongly and with as little expenditure as
possible. Experience shows that them are good, (and in this present context cost
effective) ways of using bricks and there are also bad ways of using them so that
the special benefits of this simple and ingenious item are lost or wasted.

Working and building with bricks is not only an interesting occupation but it is
also very satisfying. Even a plain simple wall is full of pattern and colour. Within
minutes you can see the fruits of your labours and you can stand back and
admire what you have done with your own hands. There are a number of well
known famous world personages (Sir Winston Churchill was one of them!). who
built brick walls as a hobby and as an occupation for relaxation and pleasure
when other worldly pressures were too great.

Unfortunately the final word about this common burnt brick, is to point out to
you that it is made of mud, which is more or less cost-less - but to make it
“strong and durable” and “colourful” we burn or bake it in the fire. This ‘firing”
process is not only costly, but in many parts of the country wood is used for
this burning of the bricks. Not only is timber getting mote and more costly (so
brick manufacturers are tempted to use lees wood end so produce an inferior
brick) but we are plundering our forests end bringing upon ourselves many ills
and calamities. This means mat we should not use brick as freely as we have
been used to and we must turn to other materials for our walls. Alas! we have all
too often turned to concrete and cement blocks, which use even more energy
(fuel) in their manufacturing process. We should in fact be seeking out and using
energy free materials such as stone and mud. Mud is dealt with separately in
another COSTFORD book, but most of the contents of this book apply not
only to the use of burnt bricks, but of mud bricks or sun dried mud bricks.

Over a period of fifty years, and more, I have had a lot of enjoyment with
bricks. This book is only about a few simple Do’s and Don’ts. Like most good
things in life you have to get down to it and do it yourself to get real enjoyment
and satisfaction.
 Names

Of

Parts

Of a

Brick
A AA BRICK BAT
A BRICK BAT
English
Bond
Flemish
Bond
 Rat
Trap
Bond
Don't Cut & Insert

Flemish

Adjust

English

Rat Trap

Get the first course right

 Keep the brick pattern
STRAIGHT and VERTICAL
 DAMAGED BRICKS can be used in
internal walls that will be plastered.

The PLUMB LINE need only be used at the ends

of walls and then use a string to get a straight
wall between. The plumb line should always fall
to the bottom course, not to the brick immediately
below.

For Ordinary Small Houses

4.5 - inch brick walls can be used for short
stretches of walls.
9 - inch brick walls are adequate for almost all
walls.
13.5 - inch brick walls are very rarely necessary.
 If you need half a brick
DONT waste
Bricks, Time
Money and Energy
Cutting a whole
Brick into two pieces

Bend down and pick up

A waste half brick bat.
Lay the mortar
to cover the
bricks and then
lay the bricks
carefully in
position.

Finally press
the bulging
mortar in
firmly to be
level with the
face of the wall
NO FURTHER
POINTING IS
NECESSARY.
Rat Trap Bond Mortar laying.

If mortar is placed carefully on the bricks some

of it will fall into the cavities and be wasted.
This can be avoided by holding a piece of wood
about 3-feet x 3-inches x 3/4-inch over the
middle of the wall to cover the cavities while
applying the mortar.
Put mortar on to
wet walls and use
bricks soaked in
water.
Bricks all vary slightly in length so
only one side of the wall can be level.

To get a "fair face" on both sides

you must bring the second row of
"stretchers" forward and "in line".

And then fill in the hollows with

mortar.
This gives a pleasing pattern.
 BRICK JALI
.

Widen and leave open the vertical joints

and
patterns
and
ventilation
holes can
take the
place of
windows.
 You do not require
staging or form work
to construct a simple
CORBEL ARCH.
 ARCHES

Can be flat

Or Segmental

Or Semi-circular

Or Even pointed.
It is easier to
build an arch
over the
frame like this.

The
brickwork
is built
over the
frame.

But the
frame must
be removed
as soon as
the arch is
completed.
 LINTELS
Lintels

This space can be

filled with
concrete or with a
brick.
 You can build a 4.5 - inch brick wall.

If the wall is too long and too high -

it will fall over.

But if the lengths of the wall are

shorter, they will support and
strengthen adjoining walls and not
fall over.

So a house with walls that go in and out

like this will be strong, will not fall over,
and can carry the weight of a roof.
 BRICK BATS
Use them for under-flooring

Lay them dry

without mortar in
rows tight together
on a rammed earth
infilling.
Then mix a heap of lime mortar and brush it
all over the floor. This gives a good base for all
types of flooring.

They are very useful

for all sorts of curved
or rounded walls such
as for gate posts, spiral
staircases etc. If a
string of vertical joints
is avoided such walls
are very strong.

And of course you

always need them
for orthodox
bonding.
 MORTARS
A. CEMENT and sand
1 part of Cement : 8 parts of sand
They set quickly.
Use cement only if nothing else is available.

B. LIME and sand

1 part of Lime : 3 parts of sand
This sets slowly but is strong.
This can be used for all types of brickwork.

C. LIME CEMENT
1 part Cement : 4 parts Lime : 14 parts Sand
This sets nearly as quickly as Cement.
Use this if you need the mortar. It sets more quickly than lime.

D. LIME - SURKHI and SAND

1 part Lime : 2 parts Surkhi : 6 parts Sand
This sets more quickly than lime.
This is slightly stronger than pure lime and sets more quickly.

E. LIME - SURKHI - CEMENT and sand

1 part Cement : 2 parts Lime : 4 parts Surkhi : 20 Sand
This sets almost as quickly as Cement.
This gets good results more quickly than all except cement.

F. MUD and WATER

Use the same mud, sifted, as used for mud blocks with enough
water to make it plastic and usable.
This can be used for all 9-inch walls if protected.

ALWAYS MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS

TOGETHER BEFORE ADDING THE WATER

Mix the ingredients until no patches or streaks of white or grey are visible.
Then add the water.